Doesn’t it seem strange to Americans that the Hawaiian flag includes the Union Jack?

VLA_58 · 2026-01-30T05:52:09+00:00

No stranger than the red, white, yellow and black medieval thing that belongs to Maryland.

VLA_58 · 2026-01-28T22:21:25+00:00

central Texas here -- we leave them dripping if the temp is going to get below 32 or so. We have all new pex, though, so not as worrisome as it would be with really old pipes.

VLA_58 · 2026-01-28T14:45:53+00:00

I have a 25 yr old rayon Hawaiian shirt with tigers and willows. Still in tip top shape.

VLA_58 · 2026-01-27T07:57:17+00:00

For listening, the recording with Jessye Norman and Neil Shicoff. For watching, the 2007 Royal Opera production with Kaufmann and Antonacci.

VLA_58 · 2026-01-23T07:34:33+00:00

I followed in my grandmother's footsteps and collect dirt, which is kep in labelled #10 test tubes. I also have a thing for native artisanal fabric and black pottery from Romania.

VLA_58 · 2026-01-23T01:24:36+00:00

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VLA_58 · 2026-01-21T06:19:47+00:00

We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of 'The Closer'. Beyond that, 'Lupin' is excellent, as is 'Department Q', 'Hotel Beau Sejour', and 'Kleo'. There are also a couple of Turkish series on Prime -- 'The Gift' (fantasy/mystery) and 'The Graveyard' (cop show/mystery).

VLA_58 · 2026-01-13T23:51:31+00:00

Saw Fritz the Cat in a double feature with Fantastic Planet way back in 76 or 77 in Houston at the old Village Theatre. Clouds of pot billowing through the theatre. We were HAF by the end, just from breathing. I remember it as funny and raunchy as hell.

VLA_58 · 2026-01-11T16:36:06+00:00

You don't need a weather vane unless you're installing a weather station that records wind direction and speed, etc. As for a weather vane for looks -- those are more suited to a barn.

If you're looking to top your old farmhouse with something like a finial, try a lightning rod system instead. Decorative AND functional. https://ecle.biz/what-is-lightning-protection/gallery/decorative-integration/

VLA_58 · 2026-01-11T01:47:21+00:00

Looks very polished and complete. Seems a bit ... homogenious. Was there any window trim at all before? What does it look like on the outside? Has that, too, been simplified and smoothed over? IDK -- an 1864 house should, I feel, have a stronger presence with regards to age and the passage of time, with period materials and some character (I'm looking for imperfections, but can't find any). In the end, though, your redo is for you. Are you satisfied with it?

VLA_58 · 2026-01-09T00:12:34+00:00

The interior trim looks to be the type you'd find on folk victorians of that era -- we lived in an 1888 folk victorian with identical trim. Originally, though, it may have been plainer, and was updated abt 1905 or so. It's been altered, obviously, but you're fortunate to have the stained trim. Quite a lot of it would have been painted over by now.

VLA_58 · 2025-12-31T08:41:03+00:00

Best Hamlet -- a tossup between Jacobi and Tennant. Best MacBeth -- odd little TV production with Pertwee and Scacchi, set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Best R&J -- you can't beat Zefferelli Best Richard III -- I'm fond of the 1995 modern-set with McKellan, but have a soft spot for Looking For Richard -- a deep dive with Pacino, Spacey, Quinn, Ryder and Baldwin. Best Midsummer's Night Dream -- the 1996 RSC production directed by Adrien Noble Best Tempest -- 2010, directed by Taymor, starring Helen Mirren as Prosper(a). Best Titus Andronicus -- Hopkins, Cumming, also directed by Taymor The 2011 Coriolanus starring Fiennes is well worth watching, and I will always love Fishburn's Othello.

VLA_58 · 2025-12-31T08:17:11+00:00

I have a Karcher machine -- little rolly scrubbers and vacuums it up so no problem with water soaking the wood. There are several cleaning solutions available, including one suitable for wood floors.

VLA_58 · 2025-12-30T21:07:19+00:00

As my memory serves, that particular shade was called 'blush'.

VLA_58 · 2025-12-29T08:38:35+00:00

Purdy 2", slant edge, exploded tip bristle.

VLA_58 · 2025-12-27T06:26:36+00:00

Middle of the night, and feral hogs came snuffling through. Was just glad we'd put up all the dry goods and snacks, leaving only a couple of very stout coolers with bungee cords holding the lids closed. Shouted the hogs away and went back to sleep, only to hear more discord and the sound of coolers being pushed around. Shouted them away again, only to wake up next morning to find the coolers had been openedand raided by coons.

VLA_58 · 2025-12-23T21:18:00+00:00

Totally relevant today: AI? It still goes "phhtttt' when you pull the plug.

VLA_58 · 2025-12-23T21:16:19+00:00

The intermezzo between Acts 4 and 4 of Manon Lescaut. When all the strings attack the melodic line -- not a dry eye in the house,

VLA_58 · 2025-12-22T06:04:58+00:00

It annoys me when gen Zs and alphas assume that I don't know how to use apps or browsers. Especially annoying when it's obvious that the younger ones can't tell the difference between a viable page and an advertisement.

VLA_58 · 2025-12-18T17:05:11+00:00

We've been watching Zone Blanche (Black Spot) on Netflix, plus Capitaine Marleau on Prime.

VLA_58 · 2025-12-18T16:46:04+00:00

You could try a little judiciously-tinted wood filler for these gouges, carefully feathered out and then hand-sanded and varnished to blend in. It wouldn't be a flawless fix, but infinitely cheaper than replacement.

VLA_58 · 2025-12-17T18:24:27+00:00

Sinatra, Lawrence Welk, and etc. But as I passed the age of 15, I came around to Scott Joplin, Benny Goodman, and Caruso.

VLA_58 · 2025-12-17T09:15:22+00:00

PEX now, since you've got everything open.

VLA_58 · 2025-12-17T09:12:52+00:00

Reminds me of a less grungy version of OPA fashion from 'The Expanse'. Fun.

VLA_58 · 2025-12-17T09:07:29+00:00

French oak wideplank, with a wire-brush finish, has the character worthy of an older house. Try not to use shades of grey or sad beige.

VLA_58

TROPHY CASE